Once Upon a December
by distant-lullaby
Summary: [HowlxSophie postmovie] Dancing Bears, Painted Wings, Things I almost remember. And a song, someone sings. Once Upon a December. [a Songfiction]


Title: Once Upon a December

Rating: 13+

Genre: Romance/Fantasy

Disclaimer: I do not own Howl's Moving Castle. If I did, Howl would be mine. : Howl and Sophie © Diana Wynne Jones

Author's Notes: RAAAAAAAAAAWR. I wish Howl was real. He's such a gorgeous person. Anyways, the Dead Poets Society topic was longing, and I'd just seen the movie and read the book, so here it is!

**Once Upon a December**

**Dancing bears  
Painted wings  
Things I almost remember,  
And a song someone sings  
once upon a december**

Sophie Hatter leaned out of the window of the small shop in Market Chipping. It had been two years. Two years since the curse, since the demons and wizards and witches, and most importantly, _him._ She wanted to see him again so badly, it crushed her to know that she was to never see him again. Howl Pendragon. Dear god, did she _yern_ to see him, feel his soft, satin lips on hers once more. She cared not that he was still a monster, even after getting his heart back. It pained her to be away for such a long, long time. Two years time.

It had been in this building that Howl had walked her through the air to safety. Back then, she was a small brown mouse, scared and timid of everything, and not very pretty. Now Sophie had blossomed into a lovely woman, with short hair the color of starlight. Yes, that was the only sign that the Witch of the Waste had left on her, the only sign that she had ever been a ninety-year-old cleaning lady for the Wizard Howl.

Someone holds me safe and warm,  
horses prance through a silver storm,  
Figures dancing gracefully,  
across my memory, 

It was night then, and the eldest Hatter was dressed in her silken nightgown, tucked safely into bed. It was then that the starlit-haired girl heard the incesscent knocking on her window. She sat up, rubbing her eyes of the sleep they had; which was not very much. "Now who could it be at this time of night?" she murmured.

As she opened the window, a cloud of feathers burst into her room. They brushed her cheek, their silky black texture feeling all-too-familiar to her skin. "Oh gods. . ." Sophie whispered, turning around slowly as she could. There stood the flaxen, dark haired wizard that she loved so dearly. He wore his kind smile, black wings beating from his back.

Sophie jumped into the wizard's open arms, feeling their strong, warm embrace once more. "I though I'd lost you!" the Hatter girl said between deep sobs. Unlike Howl, when she was sad or upset, she simply cried instead of oozing green slime and calling upon the spirits of darkness. She closed her eyes, inhaling his new scent. This time, he smelled heavily of roses, like those he had grew in his childhood get-away.

Far away, long ago  
things I yern to remember  
and a song someone sings  
Once upon a December

"Where were you these past two years?" Howl whispered in her ear, closing his eyes in a contented sigh. He had searched and searched for his silver-haired angel. The one who gave him his heart.

"I though you wanted me gone." Sophie replied in an equally soft whisper. She was trying not to cry again, not in front of him. How she had waited for this moment, where she could see her Howl again. For her Howl to hold her in his strong arms. It was no use. She began to sob, large tears pooling on the white shirt she grasped on.

"Shh, shh, I'm here, Sophie." He whispered gently, coaxing the woman into a dull cry. They stood there for a very, very long time before the man took her hand and lifted her through the window, taking flight into the dark night sky.

His midnight wings were the color of the night sky. Oh how she loved his wings, soft, and pure. The wind gently blew on her face, drying her tears. "Where are we going?"

"To our castle in the air." Howl smiled, kissing her forehead.

_Our castle_. Sophie Hatter smiled at this, as the castle, powered by the steam of a powerful fire demon named Calcifer, came into view. They landed on the balcony, it was long, and made of glass. The only thing keeping it from breaking was an enchantment. Retracting his wings, Howl grabbed her by the waist, resting his head against her shoulder.

"Promise you'll never leave me again?" He whispered.

"Promise."


End file.
